What is the symbolism-meaning of silver in the Bible?

Answer 1

The Hebrew word for silver is "kessef". This is symbolic for wealth and money and silver was used in Holy Temple. The the word Kessef can be interpreted as to mean "yearning" (cf. Genesis 31:30; Tanya, ch. 50). Other can add and edit.

Answer 2

Silver is used in a figurative way at times in The Bible to represent the following:

• God's words
• speech of the just
• saints purified by affliction.
• impure silver is likened to evil men.

A thought:

In the second chapter of Daniel... King Nebuchadnezzar has a "vision" [dream] involving a "metallic man" composed from the head down of metals of varying degrees of "VALUE" or "WORTH."

This "dream," along with Daniel's own dream [chapter 7], it turns out to be different visions of the SAME "gospel [good news] of the Kingdom of God"... with each dream representing "man's governments" [world-ruling empires] that eventually disappear and are consumed and replaced by God's Government rule on earth:

"...the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed; no one will ever conquer it. It will shatter all these kingdoms [of man] into nothingness, but it will stand forever." (Dan.2:44 NLT New Living Translation)

"...in the end, the Holy People of the Most High will be given the Kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever." (Dan.7:18 NLT)

In Daniel's dream, the governments of man were represented by BEASTS [likenesses of some sort of 'animal' in God's creation... with the exception of the Roman Empire - the fourth beast - which defied description as any known animal in creation: ["...the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, and it trampled what was left beneath its feet." - Dan.7:19 NLT].

Nebuchadnezzar's dream, however, represented these, then, future governments with "METAL." The man's "head" was "gold"... the most VALUABLE METAL on earth. To which Daniel attributed its meaning to Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom; Babylon.

"Your majesty, you are a king over many kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor... YOU ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD." (Dan.2:37-38 NLT)

So, if Babylon is "gold"... the next world-ruling empire that followed Babylon -- Persia -- is represented by the next metal beneath the head of the metallic man: SILVER!

"But after your kingdom comes to an end, another great kingdom, INFERIOR TO YOURS, will rise to take your place..." (verse 39).

So, just as "silver" is "less valuable" than "gold"... so shall each succeeding empire

or kingdom [each symbolized by a less valuable metal] be MORE INFERIOR [SPIRITUALLY] than the previous one.

King Nebuchadnezzar, the "head of gold, had the spiritual awareness within him [if only briefly] to acknowledge Daniel's God... and paid homage to Him. Something that none of the other empires did [nor do they today].

"The king said to Daniel, 'Truly, YOUR GOD IS THE GOD OF GODS. the Lord over kings, a Revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.' Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts..." (verse 48).

He's even credited with his own chapter in acknowledgment of the True God:

"...I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the MOST HIGH GOD has performed for me... His Kingdom will last forever, His Rule through all generations..." (Dan.4:2-3 NLT).

In this prophetic context in the book of Daniel... silver symbolizes the decreasing degree of spiritual awareness of the True God of Abraham among man's governments with the passing of time and the generations of man.

The growing "spiritual inferiority" of man's governments to the Truth of the Creator of the universe and Revealer of mysteries:

"...a REVELATION from Jesus Christ..." (Rev.1:1 NLT).